It is not now, nor has it ever been, our intention to ignore the presence and social/cinematic relevance of the documentary on this here Internet website. That being so, we wish to apologize for the lengthy duration of which the important film mode has been absent. In all seriousness, we pride ourselves in watching many a movie, be they shorts, independents, foreign, and of course the generic Hollywood garbage. So, without further adu, we can now officially claim documentary as part of our analytical ouvre, if you will. And you can expect more where that came from.
In what is presented as a revolutionary idea, one man in New York City attempts to live an entire year without making any environmental impact. The idea is as preposterous as his confidence that it can be done. So with what seems minimal motivation aside from the perfect gimmick for his next book, Colin Beaven sets out to phase into a zero impact calendar year. Now, it should be pointed out from the forefront that the possibility of completely eliminating one’s impact is nil. This is not to say we should not do as much as we can to be environmentally conscious, but that the idea of completely eliminating one’s presence is absurd. Anyway, Beaven questions himself from the outset as to whether the proposed experiment is even possible. And, of course, it is not possible to live a year without impact when halfway through you finally turn out the lights.
Beaven brings his family along for the adventure. His wife, a reality TV and clothing obsessed ideology consumer uses her one last splurge on a pair of $975 boots. It seems, not far into the experiment, that her sole occupation with agreeing to participate is to realize her fantasy of being a reality star, a role she seems to be rather comfortable in and natural at. Her cheating throughout the year consists of buying drinks and acquiring ice. I have little but praise for the family for consciously attempting to better those around them but acknowledge the naivety of their grandiose plans.
Regardless of intent, be they heightening books sales, warning the public, personal experimentation, etc., the Beaven’s notoriety will do little to influence those around them. The film calls attention to the vastly varied reactions to their condition. From the already environmentally conscious who see the couple as giving them a bad image to the website comments telling him to shove it, the public at the very least took notice. Yet far from sudden collective revelation, the society at large will sit idle, as they have always done, accustomed to big screen television, elevators, endless water, and their every demand at their fingertips. The film brings to attention, through Beaven’s realization, that the notion of living without impact is a direct assault on the way we expect to live. It is a direct assault on the lives of those that worry little about anyone but themselves.
Beaven himself seems not too distant from those that know nothing outside of city life. The idea that one could be connected to the earth was a foreign one. The realization the calendar year in fact comes from the natural cycles of the earth was pathetically surprising. He points out what seems to be a general aversion to life, a desire for the strict and formulaic, the rigid and structured way of doing things. He helps the audience realize, hopefully even the ignorant ones, that we have been bred and raised to need everything. Our economic system and way of life demands it. Our country requires it. Ironically, and unfortunately, our lives depend on it.
We cannot, even for a second, let ourselves think that this cannot be changed. Beaven points out midway through the film that community has seemed to dissolve. He notices the lack of accountability for those around us, a lifestyle that we have become accustomed to. The film, far from being a lesson in how to specifically help the environment, is instead a bold attention-caller to the need to see to those around you. This is precisely what Beaven does, at least in delivery. We could describe it as self-less, albeit not entirely so. Or rather, we could describe as educated, the opposite of ignorant, responsible. We could posit it to be the objective that every single person owes to every other person.
Now, we don’t need a morality lesson, and the film is not as preaching as my writing has identified it as. And Beaven is not too thorough in his zero impact attempts. Instead, the content the film encompasses and the weight of the issues it deals with is not to be overlooked. No Impact Man can be added to the lengthening list of films that everyone should see, not to entertain themselves, but to better their relationship with others.
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